Episode 231: SSG The Status Goldfish

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In this final sharing of Will Storr's book, The Status Game, I give a glimpse into the tyranny of the cousins, people amongst us who seek to correct behavior in ways that should sound familiar. Watch what you say in this Episode 231: SSG The Status Goldfish.

In this episode, I finish up sharing the gist of Will Storr's book The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It. All that I quote came from that book, which I recommend you read yourself. Seriously, The Wife and I share few books in common; this is one of them. That should say quite a bit in itself. You also heard the robot from the original TV show Lost in Space delivering his famous warning.

Musically, KMFDM backs Tony Brasunas commenting on the nature of actual free speech and the media consciousness one needs to sort through all the speech. Julie & Rolf and the Campfire Gang sing us into a landing with "Over the Rainbow".

Oh, and quick housekeeping note: the computer I use to create these episodes is starting to show its age. Hey, it got to twenty years without too much trouble! Now, though, sometimes it fires up ready to actually work, and sometimes… not so much. It looks like I'll have some computer shopping to do pretty soon, which undoubtedly will affect new episodes in the immediate future. I appreciate your patience.

Episode 230: Erasing Typographic Man

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Have you ever read a very old book and wondered how the author could keep the argument flowing through the miles of print? I know I have. Today I explore the degradation of our modern attention span with this Episode 230: Erasing Typographic Man.

In this episode, I read from: Jerry Mander's book, Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television; Neal Postman's book Amusing Ourselves To Death; Benjamin Franklin's autobiography (as it was quoted in Brooke Allen's book, Moral Minority: Our Skeptical Founding Fathers); my Quickie Dictionary; and the 1893 edition of The New Review.

I play a bit the 1984 movie This Is Spinal Tap! (Keep listening until the end of the credits and I'll play more of that clip with Christopher Guest and Rob Reiner as a public service to those too young to have seen that flick. It'll help you get the joke still uttered by old people, too often to eleven.)

Musically, Lance Strate opens the show backed by KMFDM. Mr. Strate did an interview where he discussed Neal Postman's book, appropriately. Julie and Rolf & the Campfire Gang close us out with "Over the Rainbow".